The bloated body of a “treasure hunter” was retrieved at about 7 last night as search operations continued for his two companions who were trapped in a tunnel after the ground collapsed Wednesday in Purok 4, Barangay Boloc-boloc in Sibulan town, Negros Oriental.

He was identified as Algie Javier, 29, a former overseas Filipino worker, who reportedly owned the gold detector used in the alleged treasure hunt and a resident of Barangay Isugan in nearby Bacong town.

The two other missing persons were identified by their next of kin as Feliciano Encilay Sr., 62, an employee of the Provincial Veterinary Office, who is due for retirement and a resident of Cervantes Street in Dumaguete City, and a certain Bobby Baldado of Palinpinon in the adjacent municipality of Valencia.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau 7 confirmed that the supposed treasure hunting activity that led to a disaster in Boloc-boloc, Sibulan town in Negros Oriental, was illegal in the absence of permits from the National Museum of the Philippines.

The Region 7 office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources earlier sent two personnel from MGB to investigate the alleged treasure hunting.

Engineers Edward Malahay and Ramsey Brillante of MGB-7 said, apart from the absence of permits from the National Museum of the Philippines, there was also no Environmental Compliance Certificate to support the digging.

Executive assistant to the mayor, Samuel Montoyo Sr., yesterday said their participation in the BOSS of the Bacolod City government is required under Republic Act 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018. Barangay 11 was the first to report.